Handset manufacturers constantly strive for aesthetically pleasing designs of their models. As an example, it is desirable with some mobile devices to eliminate components that protrude from the main body or to at least reduce their profile. Many handset designers also strive to eliminate joints or lines where pieces of a mobile device meet, such as a battery cover and the back of the main housing. This goal can be difficult to meet given all the features and user interface controls packed into mobile units. For example, discrete volume buttons or other dedicated controls on the side of a mobile device typically extend beyond the housing of the device, which makes the device appear bulky and disjointed. Moreover, these components create additional unwanted lines in the overall outside appearance of the mobile device. This problem is exacerbated in slide-style mobile devices, or handsets where a user can gain access to a major portion of the phone (such as a keypad) by sliding a part of the housing in a certain direction.
In an effort to overcome these obstacles, some designers have implemented flush-mounted components on the surfaces of mobile devices. Even so, the unsightly joints described above remain in place, and it is difficult to incorporate these flush-mounted units in view of the limited amount of space that is available inside a mobile device.